Heney b



(No Model.)

A H. B. ORANDALL.

OARRIAGE SEAT IRON. No. 347,775. Patenteg Aug. 24, 1886.

WUTJVESSES: IJVVEJVTOR:

UNITED STATES PATENT Threat HENRY B. GRANDALL, OF CORTLAND, NEW YORK,ASSIGNOR OF T\VO-THIRDS TO \VM. F. HEAD AND IV. H. \VOOLLAND, BOTH OFSAME PLACE.

CARRIAGE-SEAT IRON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 347,775, dated August24, 1886.

Application filed June 24, 1886. Serial No. 206,135.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY B. CRANDALL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cortland, in the county of Cortland and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carriage-Seats; andI do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention is an improvement in carriageseats and irons for the sameadapted to receive such shifting-rails as are usually kept by merchantsor manufacturers in stock.

In the arrangement of my seat it is my purpose to so construct the samein its back and sides that it will be strong and durable and capable ofreceiving with a good fit the shifting-rails ofany marketable pattern.It is also my purpose to provide a plate as an attachment to the seat ofcommon manufacture, whether said seat be made of wood or iron, so thatthe ordinary shifting bar or rail may be readily placed withoutany, orat least very 2 5 slight, alteration. I

In manufacturing my seatssay of wood I form the same with bottom andsides of the usual shape and secure them together as usual. I then forman edge or iron plate to fit over the upper edge of the sides and backin two parts, divided in the middle of the seat-back. This edge-plateIpreferably form with a flange on the inner side, which I fit snuglyagainst the inner surface of the back and-sides, all

3 5 around where said plate is secured, as wellas on the edge of theparts, in the usual manner. Asa substitute for this construction,however, I also cut out this flange portion, so that the bearings uponthe inner faces of the. sides and back will not be continuous. At thecorners or exterior angles of the said plate I form hoods, which fitsnugly to the outer surfaces of the back and sides to give strength andsecurity to the seat. As an alternative construction to this latterfeature, I purpose to drop down from the top portion of the rimplatesmall angle-pieces to fit snugly in the two interior angles formed bythe back and sides, and thus strengthen the seatback. The

(No model.)

edge or rim plate, when in place, projects over the sides and back ofthe seat, and near the outer edge of this plate I form long slots,whichpass vertically entirely through the same, and

as I make this plate preferably of thin material I re-enforce it on theunder side about these slots with bosses. In manufacturing these platesI form them in two parts, and to the back and flank of each part I givean excessive length, so that before they are applied. to a seat alreadymade they may be cut off and fitted exactly to the said seat with aperfect joint in the center of the back and a good finish to the ends ofthe flank portions.

The handles ofthe seat I form in two ways.

In one I weld the handle to the outer end of the 6 fiank'plate at thetop and rivet or screw it to the wooden portion at the bottom. In theother case I form an independent angle-plate which fits snugly to theside piece and seat proper inside and in front, and to this angleplate Iform, as a part of it, the handle.

The shifting-bars kept in stock by manufacturers and dealers are usuallymade in two pieces,with the back portions ofa length equal to themaximum requirement, and the fiank- 7 ing portions of a given length.The bolts on the under sides of said irons do not always occupy the sameplace with reference to the angle, but vary more or less in thisrespect. Consequently it is found difficult, with seats in common use,to apply these bars, as it is too freqnently necessary to drill openingsfor the bolts. The plates which form an important feature of myinvention are intended to obviate this difficulty. The slots in theseplates, or which may be formed in seats which are made entirely ofsheet-iron, are always parallel to the outer edge of the back and Hanks,and of a length fully sufficient to receive the bolts of the shifting-barsnuclusiveof any vari- 0 ation found to exist in ordinary stock goods;hence a seat formed entirely of iron and pro vided'with'a flange-backpierced with long slots, as shown in my plate, will receive theshifting-bars from any factory. Then, again, 5 any plate manufactured inthe, manner described will be readily applicable to any manufacturedseat, so that with lheapplication of the long slots to the ordinaryseat, whether of iron or wood with plates of metal, the ordinaryshifting-rails may be readily applied.

In my drawings, Figure 1 is a top View of the seat. Fig. 2 is 'a frontelevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the exteriorcorner-irons. Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing the seat-plate with theupper portion provided with small flanges dropping down at intervalsagainst the inner portion of the seat. Fig. 5 is a section showing partof an iron seat with the shifting-rail applied.

Similar reference letters of the drawings indicate like parts in all ofthe figures.

Referring to the drawings, A A A represent the bottom, sides, and backof an ordinary carriage-seat.

B is a metal plate provided with a flange, 1), formed to fit snuglyagainst the inner face of the back A and sides A A, and projecting byits horizontal portion over the outer surface of said back and sides.Long slots (1 a a a are cut or formed through the plate B, and aroundsaid slots, on the underside, are formed bosses which serve tore-enforee and strengthen said plate, precluding the necessity of makingit of thick material.

0 represents the shifting-bar, formed in the ordinary manner, and inthis instance it is provided with bolts fixed permanently to the saidiron, with shoulders which,when the said iron is in position, bear uponthe upper surface of said plate B. The bolts e pass entirely through theslots of the plate B, and the said rail is secured to the plate B bysuitable nuts run upon the threads of the said bolts, which are broughtto bear against the bosses surrounding the slots.

The style of rail illustrated in my drawings is the kind most common inuse, and varies as made by different manufacturers chiefly in thelocation of the bolts with reference to the angles of therail near theprop. It will read ily be seen that with the plate B, provided with thelong slots, the variation of the bolts with reference to these angleswill be immaterial to the ready fitting of the shifting rails to theseats, as ready adjustment will be found in the said slots between theirextremities.

Some irons, instead of having bolts formed as part of them, are providedwith eyes to receive the bolts, and it is obvious that this class ofshiftingrails may be adapted for use with my improvement as well as anyothers that do not materially differ from the two kinds mentioned.

On one side of the seat I secure the handle f to the end of the plate B.The other end of said handle I rivet to the front edge of the.

part A of the seat. Opposite to this handle I show in Figs. 1 and 2 ofthe drawings a handle, e, and this I form as a part of a bracingplate,I), which fits snugly and is secured within the inner surfaces of theside and bottom of the seat, and is turned down and secured also to thefront edge of the said bottom with rivets in the usual manner.

The slotted plate B, I preferably form with the flange b,which fits,whencontinuous,within the upper portion of the back and sides or flanks ofthe seat; but I do not wish to be confined to this precise construction,as in some cast s short flanges, l ike those of b b", may be employedeconomically and advantageously. The flanges I) serve not only insecuring the plate B to the seat, but answer the purpose of a brace forthe interior angles of the upper por tion of the said seat.

As an auxiliary security for the exterior augles of the sides and backof the seat proper, I provide, asa part of the plate B, angle-plates d,which may be used with or without the interior angle-flanges b, justmentioned. The corner bracing-plates b or d may be cast with the plateB, and will not interfere with the ready adaptation of the latter to theordinary wooden seat usually kept in stock by mauu-- facturers.

It is my intention to adapt the long slots which I use with my plate Bto a seat formed exclusively of metal, and in doing so I simply form thesaid slots in the flange of such seats, as shown in Fig. 5 of thedrawings. Any shilting-bars in ordinary use may then be readily usedwith the all-metal-stock seats, as well as with the common wooden seatsprovided with the slotted plate.

I am aware ofthe patent ofRice, No.128,171, which shows a plate cappingthe back and sides of a carriage-seat, provided with slots which passentirely through said plate and the material which forms the said backand sides. These slots are intended to receive the long limbs of aback-support, and have no connection with the shiftingrail. I make noclaim to such.

I am also aware of the patent of Ball, No. 295,143, which shows a handlesoldered or otherwise secured to a metal plate secured to the side of acarriage-seat. The handle and plate do not appear to be formed of asingle piece, and the said plate does not strengthen the angle formed bythe sides and bottom of the said seat to the degree that mine does. Tosuch I make no claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a-carriageseat, of

a seat-iron or capping-plate having an upper flat surface, perforatedvertically with long narrow longitudinal through-slots in back and flankportions, and a flange or flanges adapted in form to fit against theinner or outer faces of the upright portions of said seat, as and forthe purpose set forth.

2. A carriage-seat having from its sides and back anoutwardly-projecting flange provided with long narrow longitudinalthrough-slots, said flange-slots being provided to receive the back andside bolts of a shifting-rail, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a carriage-seat having on its sides and back anoutwardly IOC IIO

projecting plate pierced with long narrow longitudinal slots, of theshifting rail or bar provided with bolts on its back and side portions,adapted to fit within said slots, and suitable nuts to clamp said railto said plate, as specified.

4. The edging-plate for the seat, substantially as described, providedwith bosses on the under side of the outwardly-projecting flange, as astrengthening feature to the metal surrounding the slots of said plate,when the same is formed of thin material.

5. The combination, with a carriage-seat, of

the angle-plate and handle stamped or out from a single piece of sheetmetal, said angleplate being bent to conform to the inner surfaces andfront edges of the bottom andsides of said seat, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in 20 of presence twowitnesses.

HENRY B. CRANDALL. \Vitnesses:

O. M. BALL, J As. H. ANDREWS.

